GROWL, the local company that produces iced coffee concentrate, is expanding its product line to include ready-to-drink flavored lattés. To facilitate the expansion, GROWL is raising funds on
Clovest, a crowdfunding platform for no-interest loans for small businesses. GROWL's campaign to raise $5,000, which ends Thursday, is 80 percent funded as of press time.
Matthew Snyder is GROWL's brewer. He is also a company cofounder, but says that he eschews traditional business titles in favor of active job descriptions. "I'm interested in 'doing stuff,'" he explains, "so [everyone affiliated with the company] has 'doing' titles.'" Cofounder Jeff Walter is GROWL's designer; Elliot Talbert-Goldstein is a "wrangler."
After founding the company in January of this year, Snyder moved GROWL's operations into
Union Kitchen "a few months ago," he says. It's been a good fit. "I really enjoy being around makers. D.C. gets a reputation for not having a lot of people who are doing tangible things. [Union Kitchen] is a whole community of [makers]. Everyone is hustling."
The core of GROWL's business is creating and selling cold-brew coffee concentrate, which consumers then dilute and drink over ice. Snyder calls this the "DIY version" of GROWL. "Lattés are the ready-to-go version," he says. The company has a few flavors currently in production, including pumpkin spice and vanilla eggnog, and Snyder says that as the season changes, he will shift from pumpkin spice to salted caramel and peppermint mocha. GROWL lattés can be purchased at
Smucker Farms Market and via
Relay Foods.
Snyder calls his newest creations a "10 a.m. or 2 p.m. pick-me-up" and adds that they can go from daytime to nighttime by adding the adult beverage of one's choice. GROWL concentrate is already being featured on one drink menu in the District; according to Snyder, Foggy Bottom's
West End Bistro has created a specialty drink with GROWL, cinnamon, simple syrup and spiced rum. "It's selling really well," he says.
With a successful campaign, Snyder hopes to build distribution in the D.C. area and "create unique handcrafted flavors." He sees Clovest as a win-win. "[Funders] get their money back, get to support a company [they] believe in and get to support the local community."